Electrode for fuel cell and fuel cell including the same

Abstract

An electrode for a fuel cell including a gas diffusion layer, and a catalyst layer bound to at least one surface of the gas diffusion layer and including a catalyst and a binder; and a fuel cell including the electrode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrode for a fuel cell, comprising:
 a gas diffusion layer; and   a catalyst layer bound to at least one surface of the gas diffusion layer and comprising a catalyst and a binder.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the catalyst and the binder comprises an acidic functional group or a basic functional group. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode of  claim 2 , wherein the acidic functional group is at least one selected from a carboxylic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a sulfonic acid group, and a hydroxy group, and
 the basic functional group is at least one selected from an amino group, a pyridine group, a pyridazine group, a pyrimidine group, a pirazine group, a 1,2,3-triazine group, a 1,2,4-triazine group, a 1,3,5-triazine group, an oxazole group, a thiazole group, a 1 H-1,2,3-triazole group, a 1H-1,2,4-triazole group, 2H-1,2,3-triazole group, a 1 H-tetrazole group, a 2H-tetrazole group, and an imidazole group.   
     
     
         4 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein
 the catalyst comprises a basic functional group, and the binder comprises an acidic functional group;   the catalyst comprises an acidic functional group, and the binder comprises a basic functional group; or   the catalyst and the binder each comprises an acidic functional group.   
     
     
         5 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises an acidic functional group, or a basic functional group. 
     
     
         6 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer further comprises a carbonaceous material. 
     
     
         7 . The electrode of  claim 6 , wherein the carbonaceous material is at least one selected from carbon powder, carbon black, acetylene black, ketjen black, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanowires, carbon nanohorns, carbon aerogel, carbon cryogel, and carbon nanorings. 
     
     
         8 . The electrode of  claim 6 , wherein an amount of the carbonaceous material is from about 1 part to about 50 parts by weight based on a total of 100 parts by weight of the catalyst. 
     
     
         9 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises a basic functional group; and the catalyst layer comprises:
 a catalyst comprising a basic functional group and a binder comprising an acidic functional group;   a catalyst and a binder each comprising an acidic functional group; or   a catalyst comprising a basic functional group, a binder comprising an acidic functional group, and a carbonaceous material.   
     
     
         10 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises an amino group. 
     
     
         11 . The electrode of  claim 10 , wherein the catalyst further comprises
 at least one catalyst metal selected from platinum, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, copper, silver, gold, tin, titanium, chromium, and an alloy of at least two thereof; or   a supported catalyst comprising at least one catalyst metal on a carbonaceous support, the at least one catalyst metal being selected from platinum, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, copper, silver, gold, tin, titanium, chromium, and an alloy of at least two thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein
 the catalyst layer comprises a binder comprising an acidic functional group, and   the binder comprising the acidic functional group is at least one selected from a poly(olefin) comprising at least one selected from a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphoric acid group, a halogenated poly(olefin) comprising at least one selected from a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphoric acid group, a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(methacrylic acid), an isobutylene-maleic acid copolymer), a butadiene-maleic acid copolymer, and a butadiene-maleic acid-olefin terpolymer.   
     
     
         13 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of the binder in the catalyst layer is from about 1 part to about 20 parts by weight based on a total of 100 parts by weight of the catalyst. 
     
     
         14 . An electrode catalyst layer for a fuel cell, comprising:
 a catalyst comprising an acidic functional group or a basic functional group; and   a binder comprising a basic functional group or an acidic functional group which are effective to form a chemical bond with the acidic functional group or the basic functional group of the catalyst.   
     
     
         15 . The electrode of  claim 14 , wherein
 the catalyst comprising a basic functional group,   the binder comprising an acidic functional group, and the binder comprising the acidic functional group is at least one selected from a poly(olefin) comprising at least one selected from a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a halogenated poly(olefin) comprising at least one selected from a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphoric acid group, a poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), an isobutylene-maleic acid copolymer, a butadiene-maleic acid copolymer, and a butadiene-maleic acid-olefin terpolymer.   
     
     
         16 . An electrode for a fuel cell, comprising:
 a gas diffusion layer; and   an electrode catalyst layer disposed on the gas diffusion layer and comprising a catalyst comprising an acidic functional group or a basic functional group, and a binder comprising a basic functional group or an acidic functional group which are effective to form a chemical bond with the acidic functional group or the basic functional group of the catalyst.   
     
     
         17 . A fuel cell comprising the electrode of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A fuel cell of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the catalyst and the binder has an acidic functional group or a basic functional group. 
     
     
         19 . A fuel cell of  claim 17 , wherein
 the catalyst comprises a basic functional group, and the binder comprises an acidic functional group;   the catalyst comprises an acidic functional group, and the binder comprises a basic functional group; or   the catalyst and the binder each comprise an acidic functional group.   
     
     
         20 . A fuel cell of  claim 17 , wherein the catalyst layer further comprises a carbonaceous material.